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Chael Sonnen didn’t challenge the two year suspension the Nevada State Athletic Commission recently handed him, and now the retired fighter has opened up about why he failed two drugs tests before UFC 175.

“I didn’t think I’d be tested for another 44 days,” said Sonnen, who retired from pro fighting after testing positive for anastrozole, clomiphene, human growth hormone (HGH) and recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO). “I tried to game the system.”

“I was hit on a surprise test that was 44 days before a fight,” Sonnen furthered. “Generally in our business we’re tested fight night, so whatever it is you’re doing or you’re not doing, you gotta show up clean on fight day. When I talk about being dirty, I’m not talking about steroids or illegal drugs. I gotta make this distinction, if you ever failed a drug test, you are automatically taking something illegal and they were steroids, that’s just the way it works in people’s minds. Well, first off, none of them were illegal, and none of them were steroids, but I never offered a defense. I turned in my prescriptions. I got this from the doctor, this was valid stuff, but, these are still against the rules, I knew it. ”

Sonnen recently competed at a Metamoris grappling event, despite the NSAC’s objections, and was submitted by Andre Galvao.